In a new interview with Australia’s Wall Of Sound, TRIVIUM’s Corey Beaulieu spoke to about the band’s recent split with its longtime drummer Alex Bent. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It just kind of happened, and it was kind of a surprise. I don’t think anyone was really expecting it. But it is what it is. When it all kind of went down, we all wished each other the best. There’s no hard feelings. It was just kind of one of those things where it’s, like, life changes paths. And it’s all positive. We made three amazing records together. The [upcoming ‘Struck Dead’] EP is amazing, which it will be his last thing. He started working on the [next TRIVIUM full-length] record with us, so hopefully when that’s finished and done, he’ll feel a part of that.”

Corey continued: “When [Alex] came into the band, we had a great chemistry, a great writing team. I think all the music we did together is — hopefully the fans just are really excited about what was created in that time. And Alex, he’s a great drummer, a great person and stuff, and I’m sure he’s got plans for whatever his next chapter is.”

Referencing the fact that TRIVIUM’s new touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman (SEPULTURA) made his live debut with the band at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California, just a few days after Alex’s exit, Corey said: “I guess the timing [of Alex’s departure] kind of put us in a pickle, but with all that going down, it was, like, we just had to kind of like, block everything out and like focus on how to get… We didn’t have much time to get ready for this show [at the Aftershock festival] and we have a tour coming up. But there’s a lot of amazing musicians out there, and luckily we were able to find someone that could give us a helping hand to be able to play Aftershock and not cancel.”

TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto told Thunder Underground about the band’s split with Bent:  ”I don’t feel like I want fans to be, like, Hey, okay, we’re over it. We expect you to be over it,’ kind of thing. I’m like, no. I’m, like, we made a lot of great music and there’s a lot of history between us. He was almost in the band as long as Travis [Smith, former TRIVIUM drummer] was and almost made as many albums, I believe. So that’s a pretty big chunk of our history right there. And I think ‘The Sin And The Sentence’, of the stuff we all did together, is maybe one of my favorite records we’ve done. And I think the [upcoming] EP [‘Struck Dead’], too — if that’s the end of the chapter, I’m, like, that’s a great ending right there, ’cause I think it’s a very, very cool EP. And I can say without a doubt, I feel that the albums and EP has been an incredible run. I don’t feel we had a real weak point. I can’t say that’s something I feel like for our whole career. So I’m, like, I feel very proud of that. It was a lot of effort and work and everyone’s part.”

Asked if Nekrutman will play on TRIVIUM’s next studio album, Paolo said: “Oh, I don’t know yet. We’re still kind of thinking the [fall 2025] tour first. It’s, like, I have to almost kind of try to put everything in order of how it’s coming just to not get too far ahead of ourselves. We do have some writing coming up that we had planned anyway, but he’s not involved in that. It’s the three of us and Josh Wilbur, our producer, kind of brainstorming. ‘Cause we’ve been doing a lot of stuff. We have quite a bit of material. It’s, like, we wanna get a little head start before we get to the new year and start really diving into actually doing it. But as for, like, who’s playing on it, we really don’t know. And honestly, Greyson has commitments with SEPULTURA next year, so even if he were to help us on, let’s say, the record or a couple shows, he’s got that stuff. So we’re gonna have to still probably jam with some people early next year, figure some stuff out. And we’re just kind of taking the moment to take things easy and take it slow.”

He continued: “We’ve, in the past, had to make quick judgment calls, like in pressure, and I feel like that’s never been the best idea. It’s better to just take a breather, let everyone kind of just deal with the news that we just dropped on them first. And then, of course, like, let’s have fun on the tour. We were talking to him about the setlist [for the fall 2025 tour]. We’re giving him some freedom to pick some songs of, like, ‘Hey, here’s a list of tunes we like, we love to play. Check ’em out, see what you’re feeling,’ and kind of just go from there.”

At Aftershock, Paolo told Baby Huey and Chasta of the San Francisco radio station 107.7 The Bone about Bent: “We’ve had a great nine years together. I feel like it’s kind of a weird thing because, obviously, being in a band together, but I feel like because we’ve all had families and stuff, there’s a tighter connection there that even just what people see. So I think it’s one of those things, we all were kind of sad, but at the same time, we said, ‘Alex, we want you to kind of make the statement. You kind of lead how you’d like to handle all this stuff.’ And I didn’t wanna put words in his mouth or say whatever. He made the statement. I feel like we ended on great terms. And that’s really kind of it. I mean, there’s no juicier CRADLE OF FILTH [-style] drama [with former hired musicians sharing their grievances online]. And, again, it’s one of those things where we wanted him to make a statement.”

Paolo continued: “In the past we’ve always been very, like — we don’t really like to get into any behind-the-scenes stuff with that. And, of course, we’ve had changes before, but we felt like in this instance, rather than just saying ‘we’re parting’ or whatever, we [told Alex], like, ‘Well, you’ve been around for so long, our fans would wanna hear from you.’ And so that made it more important to us to be, like, ‘Okay, you are gonna say whatever you’d like to say.’ We didn’t [tell Alex], ‘You can’t say this or that.’ And then just give it 24 hours. And then as we hit the stage [at the Aftershock festival] today, be, like, ‘Okay, this is the guy playing with us for today, for the tour,’ and then that’s kind of it.”

Speaking about Greyson, Paolo said: “It’s been a crazy whirlwind. He was on a tour in Canada, a drum-clinic tour. And he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ And he got home. He spent two 12-hour days, just in there, working on it, and then we flew him down. We jammed for two days, flew out here, and we’re gonna go jam in our little room here in a bit. But everything’s good. I feel like there’s good vibes. Of course, it’s one chapter ending, but I feel like the music that we made [with Alex] for the last nine years was great. And especially for the EP [‘Struck Dead’] coming [in late October], if that’s kind of the end cap on this era of TRIVIUM [with Alex], I’m very happy with everything we did.”

Addressing TRIVIUM’s plans for the coming months, including the search for Bent’s replacement, Paolo said: “We’re gonna be out, I think, in Europe next summer. The first couple months [of 2026] is gonna be kind of, like, of course, [working on the next full-length] record and stuff. And then we’re gonna probably take a little bit of time and maybe jam with some people, just kind of see what we’re feeling for the next step.

“This is still kind of new, so we’re not totally sure [what we’re gonna do about a new drummer], but we’ve never really taken a moment to kind of just step back,” Paolo explained. “Because Greyson is incredible, but he is with SEPULTURA. And they have commitments, and we’re very lucky that there’s no clashes at the moment. He can get us through the end of the year, and [we] feel like the songs are in good hands. But … once we get off the road, once we get to holidays, everyone’s got clear heads — we know a lot of great people, and we don’t know if there’s someone that might be interested in that. So we’re, like, well, let’s just take a moment. And next year we’ll get into that. And then, of course, the record is gonna be the big thing for us. And, of course, you know what follows that — more touring, coming back around.”

The 23-year-old Nekrutman, who also previously toured with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, will play drums for TRIVIUM on “The Ascend Above The Ashes” North American tour. The trek will kick off October 31 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and run through December 14, with a hometown show in Orlando, Florida. Special guests are JINJER and HERIOT.

When Alex announced his departure from TRIVIUM on October 3, he said in a statement: “I am beyond grateful for the incredible past nine years with TRIVIUM — filled with unforgettable moments, music, and friendships that I’ll always carry with me. I’m so proud of every record and tour we created together, and I know TRIVIUM will continue to dominate the world; they’ll always have my support.

“While this chapter has come to a close, this is by no means the end of my path as a musician. I’m excited for this new chapter, and I look forward to continuing to create, perform, and share music in new ways.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement means the world.”

Nekrutman officially replaced SEPULTURA’s longtime drummer Eloy Casagrande in February 2024.

In December 2016, TRIVIUM parted ways with Paul Wandtke and welcomed Bent, a former member of BATTLECROSS and DECREPIT BIRTH who had previously played with TESTAMENT as a fill-in for that band’s longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.

“Struck Dead” will arrive on October 31 via longtime label Roadrunner. The effort was produced by TRIVIUM and recorded with Mark Lewis at the band’s Hangar Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur.